HMR Project: History of Music & Modern Recording

The Hokum Blues of Lil Johnson

 

Lil Johnson was a hokum blues (dirty blues) artist who may have left her mother's oven about 1900. It isn't known where she was born nor when or where that she died. It isn't known what she looked like because there are no known photographs of her. Her obscurity is all the more odd in that she was highly talented and clearly knew her business. DAHR has her composition, 'Good Time Mama Blues', getting recorded by Martha Copeland in New York City in October of 1927. Copeland recorded blues from 1923 to 1928 but didn't sell all that well.

 

'Good Time Mama Blues'   Martha Copeland

13 Oct 1927 in NYC   Matrix W144853   Columbia 14262-D

Clarinet: Bob Fuller   Piano: Porter Grainger

Composition: Lil Johnson

 

Johnson herself put away her first recordings in Chicago on 18 and 23 April 1929. Titles on the 18th went unissued, but on the 23rd 'Never Let Your Left Hand Know What Your Right Hand Do' and 'You'll Never Miss Your Jelly Till Your Jelly Roller's Gone' went down toward Vocalion 1299. 'Rock That Thing' went down twice that summer in June and July, the latter released on Vocalion 1410. Lil didn't record again until 1935, putting away numerous tracks until her last known session on 29 December of 1937.

 

'Never Let Your Left Hand Know What Your Right Hand Do'   Lil Johnson

First-known recording to see issue

23 April 1929 in Chicago   Matrix C3355   Vocalion 1299

Piano: Charles Avery

Composition: Charles Avery / Lil Johnson

 

'You'll Never Miss Your Jelly Till Your Jelly Roller's Gone'   Lil Johnson

Second-known recording to see issue

23 April 1929 in Chicago   Matrix C3356   Vocalion 1299

Piano: Charles Avery

Composition: Charles Avery / Lil Johnson

 

'House Rent Scuffle'   Lil Johnson

27 June 1929 in Chicago   Matrix C3749   Vocalion 1410

Piano: Charles Avery   Guitar: Tampa Red

Composition: Charles Avery / Lil Johnson

 

'Rock That Thing'   Lil Johnson

17 July 1929 in Chicago   Matrix C3895   Vocalion 1410

Piano: Charles Avery

Composition: Lil Johnson from Papa Charlie Jackson's 'Shake That Thing' of 1925

 

'Anybody Want to Buy My Cabbage?'   Lil Johnson

16 July 1935 in Chicago   Matrix 90164-A   Champion 50002

Composition: Lil Johnson

 

'Evil Man Blues'   Lil Johnson

16 July 1935 in Chicago   Matrix 90166-A   Champion 50052

Composition: ?

 

'Keep on Knocking'   Lil Johnson

27 July 1935 in Chicago   Matrix 91417-1   Bluebird B-6112

Piano: Black Bob

Composition: James Wiggins

 

'Press My Button (Ring My Bell)'   Lil Johnson

12 Feb 1936 in Chicago   Matrix C-1250-2

ARC 6-05-58 / Melotone 6-05-58 / Vocalion 03199

Piano: Black Bob ?   Upright bass: Bill Settles

Composition: Lil Johnson

 

'Take It Easy Greasy'   Lil Johnson

12 Feb 1936 in Chicago   Matrix C-1251-1

ARC 6-05-58 / Melotone 6-05-58 / Perfect 6-05-58

Piano: Black Bob ?   Upright bass: Bill Settles

Composition: Lil Johnson

 

'That Bonus Done Gone Thru'   Lil Johnson

12 Feb 1936 in Chicago   Matrix C-1253-2

ARC 6-05-52 / Melotone 6-05-52 / Perfect 6-05-52

Piano: Black Bob ?   Upright bass: Bill Settles

Composition: Lil Johnson

 

'Sam the Hot Dog Man'   Lil Johnson

Sometime March to June 1936 in Chicago   Matrix C-1362-1,2   Vocalion 03241

Piano: Black Bob ?   Guitar: Big Bill Broonzy

Composition: Lil Johnson

 

'Rug Cutter's Function'   Lil Johnson

Sometime March to June 1936 in Chicago   Matrix C-1363-1   Vocalion 03251

Piano: Black Bob ?   Guitar: Big Bill Broonzy

Composition: Lil Johnson

 

'My Stove's In Good Condition'   Lil Johnson

Sometime March to June 1936 in Chicago   Matrix C-1365-1   Vocalion 03251

Piano: Black Bob ?   Guitar: Big Bill Broonzy

Composition: Lil Johnson

 

'Was I?' (drunk)   Lil Johnson

11 June 1936 in Chicago   Matrix C-1398-1   Vocalion 03266

Clarinet: Arnett Nelson  Piano: Black Bob   Guitar: Big Bill Broonzy

Music: Chick Endor   Lyrics: Charles Farrell

 

'Let's Get Drunk and Truck'   Lil Johnson and her Chicago Swingers

20 Aug 1936 in Chicago   Matrix C-1446-2   Vocalion 03312

Trumpet: Lee Collins ?  Clarinet: Arnett Nelson

Piano: J. Harry Shayne   Upright bass: John Lindsay

Composition: Hudson Whittaker (Tampa Red)

 

Johnson's vernacular may require explanation in places. "Shave 'Em Dry" below refers to aggressive sex minus foreplay, that is, lubrication. 'Shave 'Em' Dry' was originally authored by Ma Rainey with William Jackson in 1924. Johnson's is a more polite version of that than Lucille Bogan's who recorded it as Bessie Jackson on 5 March 1935 [Second Hand Songs]. The latter is the earliest instance of the word "fuck" used in modern recording, so far as I know. That was released on Melotone M 13342, Oriole 8487, Romeo 5487 and Perfect 0332. Further below find "Stavin' Chain" which in manufacturing held barrels together for banding. The term might also refer the chain which linked prisoners together by their neck bands. It may also refer to a legendary railroad conductor in folklore as well as a musician named Wilson Jones who used "Stavin' Chain' as a pseudonym [Alan Lomax]. Jelly Roll Morton spoke of a popular pimp called Stavin' Chain. It is also speculated that a staving chain might have been a sex toy employed to prevent premature ejaculation.

 

'New Shave 'Em Dry'   Lil Johnson

19 Nov 1936 in Chicago   Matrix C-1684-1   Vocalion 03428

Trumpet: Mr. Sheiks / Alfred Bell

Piano: Black Bob   Guitar: Big Bill Broonzy   Upright bass: Bill Settles

Composition: Lil Johnson from Ma Rainey's 'Shave 'Em Dry' of 1924

("Shave 'Em Dry" = slang for aggressive sex minus foreplay)

 

'Stavin' Chain'   Lil Johnson

10 June 1937 in Chicago   Take 1 of 2   Matrix C-1931-1

See the album 'Brown Sugar' on Murray Hill MH-M58179   1983

Trumpet: Alfred Bell   Piano: Myrtle Jenkins   Drums: Fred Williams

Composition: ?

 

'Stavin' Chain'   Lil Johnson

10 June 1937 in Chicago   Take 2 of 2   Matrix C-1931-2

See the album 'Copulatin' Blues' on Stash ST-101   1976

Trumpet: Alfred Bell   Piano: Myrtle Jenkins   Drums: Fred Williams

Composition: ?

 

'When Your Troubles Are Like Mine'   Lil Johnson

Last-known recording to see issue

29 Dec 1937 in Chicago   Matrix C-2071-1   Vocalion 03941

Composition: ?

 

After Lil's final recordings in 1937 she simply vanished from all documentation. What became of her after that is unknown.

 

Sources & References for Lil Johnson:

VF History (notes)

Wikipedia

Audio of Johnson: YouTube

Compositions: Music Brainz   Second Hand Songs

Recordings: Catalogs: 45 Worlds   All Music   Discogs   RYM

Recordings: Compilations:

Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order:

Document Records DOCD-5307 (Volume 1: 23 April 1929-22 April 1936 / 1994)

Document Records DOCD-5308 (Volume 2: 22 April 1936-3 March 1937 / 1994)

Document Records DOCD-5309 (Volume 3: 3 March-29 December 1937 / 1994)

Recordings: Sessionographies:

Steven Abrams (Melotone 1935-36)

DAHR (1929/35)

Henry König (Melotone 1935-36)

Tom Lord: 20 sessions 1929-1937

Repertoire:

New Shave 'Em Dry (1936): Paul Oliver   Wikipedia

Stavin' Chain (1937):

Debra Devi   Brian Ellis   St. Olaf College   Weenie Campbell

Rivals:

Lucille Bogan (aka Bessie Jackson or Molly Ragg / 1897-1948 / active 1923-35):

Eugene Chadbourne (Bogan / All Music)

Eugene Chadbourne (Jackson / All Music)

DAHR (sessions 1923-30)

Discogs (Bogan)

Discogs (Jackson)

Discogs (Ragg)

Jim O'Neal (Blues Foundation)

Wikipedia

 

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